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The international jury chose the seven commemorative coins of the series “Preserve our world” the Series of the Year 27 сентября 2016 года, 15:48

The international jury chose the seven commemorative coins of the series “Preserve our world” the Series of the Year

The international jury chose the seven commemorative coins of the series “Preserve our world” the Series of the Year
The respected jury of the International Competition “Coin Constellation-2016” chose the seven commemorative coins of the Bank of Russia to be the best in the Series of the Year category. The coins were produced within the framework of the famous “Preserve our world” series issued by the Bank of Russia since 1992. It is one of the longest-time series dedicated to animals.
However, new coins of the series are not issued every year.
The previous issue took place in 2011, and the coins were dedicated to the Anatolian leopard. 7 coins of gold and silver were put into circulation in 2015 and were dedicated to the elk.

Silver and gold coins dedicated to scenes from elks’ life were struck at the Moscow and Saint Petersburg Mints of Goznak.

FEDOR ANDRONOV, an artist of the Saint Petersburg Mint of Goznak, created the sketches of all the seven coins. He also modelled all the four gold coins of the series. The sculptors of the three silver ones were Vladimir Andronov and Eduard Tolzin (the Moscow Mint) and Mikhail Efimenko (the Saint Petersburg Mint).

“It all didn’t turn out to be so easy”, Fedor Andronov said. “The elk is a clandestine animal; therefore it was difficult to find enough material necessary for the work upon the coins”.

Therefore Fedor Andronov went to the Leningrad Zoo; artists of the Saint-Petersburg Mint have long-term and close relations with its employees. It is not only possible to watch the animals there; there is also a great library with books about animals.

“My task was not only to depict the animal, but also to show its habitat and environmental conditions”, said Fedor Andronov.

Scenes of life of the elks are depicted on the coins. Thus, for example, on the 1-kilogram commemorative gold coin with the face value of 10,000 roubles, there is a female elk with two calves at the waterside; the 25-rouble silver coin depicts a battle of two male elks; and the 100-rouble silver coin shows a couple of elks at the waterside. A seasoned elk is located on the 50-rouble gold coin.

The coin surface laser matting technology was applied in the production of coins of this series. But only separate parts of the image were made with laser; they were inscribed into the general image elegantly – for example, blinks on the water or footpaths in the background. The main image of the strong forest beauties in the foreground was relief.
The coins were produced of sterling silver and pure gold. The 3-rouble silver coin (the diameter is 39 mm, the weight of precious metal in purity is 31.1 g.) was struck in the number of 5000 pieces; the 25-rouble silver coin (the diameter is 60 mm, the weight of the precious metal in purity is 155.5 g.) was minted in the number of 1000 pieces; the silver 100-rouble coin (the diameter is 100 mm, the weight of the precious metal in purity is 1 kilogram) was produced in the number of 250 pieces. The gold 50-rouble coin (the diameter is 22.6 mm; the weight of the precious metal in purity is 7.78 g.) was struck in the number of 1000 pieces; the gold 100-rouble coin (the diameter is 30 mm, the weight of the precious metal in purity is 15.55 g.) was minted in the number of 750 pieces; the gold 200-rouble coin (the diameter is 33 mm, the weight of the precious metal in purity is 31.1 g.) in the number of 500 pieces; the gold 10,000-rouble coin was issued in the number of 25 pieces (its diameter is 100 mm, the weight of the precious metal in purity is 1 kilogram). The kilogram gold and silver coins were struck in “proof-like” quality, the rest of the coins – in “proof” quality.
In the same Series of the Year category, the jury put “The 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet People in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945” coin series of the Bank of Russia minted at the Saint Petersburg Mint in the third place. Three coins were put into circulation within the framework of the series – two silver coins with the face values of 3 and 25 roubles and a gold one with the face value of 50 roubles.
The 25-rouble commemorative “Creative Works of Michelangelo Buonarotti” coin struck at the Saint Petersburg Mint occupied the third position in the Silver Coin of the Year category.
“The 155th Anniversary of the Bank of Russia” 1000-rouble coin struck at the Moscow Mint occupied the third position in the Gold Coin of the Year.
The first in Russia rectangular commemorative coin of the Bank of Russia “The Issue of the First Payment Cards of the Russian National Payment System” struck at the Saint Petersburg Mint occupied the third position in the Unique Idea category.

The results of “Coin Constellation-2016” were summed up at the solemn ceremony that took place on September 22, 2016 within the framework of the Seventh International Coin Conference and Exhibition COINS-2016, the only international coin forum in Russia. Well-known mints of the world, national and commercial banks, leading coin distributing companies have traditionally participated in it.
More than 240 coins and 23 coin series issued since January 1 until December 31, 2015 were presented to the evaluation of the international jury. It consists of experts from famous world museums and auction houses, representatives of coin distributing companies, numismatic associations and specialized professional editions. 44 participants from 29 countries submitted their applications.
Among the participants of “Coin Constellation-2016”, there are: the Central Bank of Russia, the central and National Banks of Armenia, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, the Kirgizian Republic, Poland, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Trans-Dniestria. The coins were also presented by the following companies: China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation (China), Coin Invest Trust (Lichtenstein), Downies (Australia), International Coin House AG (Switzerland), Moneda Nueva (Spain), NumisCollect (the Netherlands), Numiscow GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), “Tatfondbank” (Russia), “Transstroybank” (Russia), Association “PROOF” (Russia), “Rosselkhozbank” (Russia), Treasures of Oz Pty Ltd (Australia), New Zealand Post (New Zealand); mints of Russia, Poland, France, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Austria, Mexico, the USA, Finland, Japan, Australia, Switzerland, Portugal, United Kingdom and many other companies.